Apparatus for lowering and handling burial vaults



L. v. TROUP 2,039,464

TUS FOR LOWERING AND HANDLING BURIAL VAULTS May 5, 1936.

APPARA Filed Feb. 15, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l PH II 1 I I INVENTOR. A/w/ MFrau 2.

ATTORNEY.

May 5,- 1936. [v. TROUP 2,39,464

APPARATUS FOR LOWERING AND HANDLING BURIAL VAULTS Filed Feb. 15, 1935 I3 Sheets-Sheet 2 z a I 42W 1/; 7mm; 5:55

ATTORNEY.

May 5, 1935. v TRQUP Z,39,464

APPARATUS FOR LOWERING AND IIANDLING BURIAL VAULTS Filed Feb. 15, 1935 3Sheets-Sheec 3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

BY Z/O mu Patented May 5, 1936 t fti'i'E E'E'ATES PAT ii. GFFEQEAPPARATUS FOR LOWERING AND HANDLING BURIAL VAULTS 2 Claims.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to provide novel apparatuswhereby the interment may be carried out so that the usual casket may beenclosed. in a vault of concrete or other suitable material, and whichwill effectively protect the casket after it has been placed in theground.

My invention is decidedly advantageous when used in connection with aseparate individual base or bottom which is positioned in the graveopening just below the ground line, so that the opening can be concealedfrom view while the usual services are carried on, after which my vaulthandling apparatus is wheeled over to straddle said opening, the coverof the vault being suspended by said apparatus at an elevationsufiicient to permit it to easily clear the top of the casket, afterwhich the cover is lowered to position on the base. The base and coverare then secured together, and the unit is then lowered into the gravein the usual manner.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of this character which iseasily mobile, which is smooth and efficient in operation, and which isneat in appearance.

A further object is to design a lowering and handling apparatus ofknockdown construction, so that it can be readily disassembled andtransported from place to place, which is very easy to manipulate, andwhich is smooth and quiet in operation.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus in which all of thewound cable and the cable winding means is concealed from View, andwhich is covered so that it cannot catch clothing or become fouled.

With the above and other objects in View, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes maybe made in the form, size, proportion, and minor details ofconstruction, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side View of the apparatus set up and readyfor use, the vault base and cover being shown in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary view showing one of the cornerlegs and side bars.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary part sectional view of the side barand cable winding means.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the driving means.

Fig. 6 is a side view showing the vault and casket lowered to the bottomof the grave.

In carrying out my invention, I provide the four corner posts 1 whichare preferably formed of pipe, a flange 8 being provided on the lowerend of each post, and a castor 9 is secured thereto so that the may befreely and easily wheeled into and out of position over a grave.

The upper ends of the corner posts are turned at a point directlyadjacent the upper end thereof, and gear housings l0, ll, l2, and I3respectively are mounted on said posts, set screws Ill serving to securethem in position, these housings being formed'as clearly shown in Figs.2 and 3 of the drawings, and a cover plate !4 is provided on the oneface of each housing to facilitate the assembly of the necessary drivinggears therein.

Outwardly projecting, tubular sections !5 are formed integral with eachhousing, and horizontally disposed end bars or members it are insertedin these sockets to secure them in rigid spaced apart relation, similartubular sections ll projecting from the side wall of each housing, andthe side bars I8 are mounted therein so that the corner posts arerigidly secured together to form a complete frame or unit, each side barbeing slotted as shown at 19 and for a purpose to be presentlydescribed.

The actuating or driving mechanism is mounted on the one end only of theframe and comprises a wormv wheel 2% which is mounted on a threadedshaft 2!, said shaft being journaled in spaced apart bearings 22provided in the tubular sections I? and in the side bars i8respectively, the threaded sections of the shaft 2! forming a grooveddrum, the side walls of the threads being slightly tapered so that thewinding element or cable 23 slightly wedges in the grooves, theclearance between the outside of the shaft 2| and the inside of the bar58 being so limited that it forces the wound cable into the grooves.

A worm 24 is also mounted in the housing I ii, meshing with and drivingthe worm wheel 20, the shaft 25 projecting beyond the housing and beingjournaled in the bearings 26 provided in the housing. The drivingmechanism is applied to one end only of the apparatus, each corner postand housing assembly Ill and ll respectively containing similar worm andworm wheel units, the worm shaft in the housing ill, however, projectingthrough both side walls, and a disc shaped member 21 is keyed on one endof this shaft and is suitably formed to detachably receive a crank orhandle 28 which is adjustable therein, so that the necessary desiredleverage can be secured, and further to permit removal when the deviceis disassembled.

Driving units are adapted to be connected together so that they aresimultaneously driven when the crank or handle 28 is rotated, atransversely disposed pin or key 29 being provided adjacent the end ofeach worm shaft, and are adapted to be slidably mounted in slots 30 provided in a pipe member 3|, a spring 32 being provided in said pipe, theinner end of the spring butting against a plug 33 provided in the pipe,the outer end engaging the pin or key 29, and it will be obvious thatthis connecting pipe 31 can be readily removed by forcing it endwise tocompress the spring 32 sufliciently to permit the pin 29- to bedisengaged from the slot in the opposite end of the pipe.

Each pair of cables 23 is anchored to the threaded member 2| which isjournaled in the side bars, and is thence wound on the threaded sectionofeach member, the free ends of the cables leading through the slots [9and are provided with hooks for attachment to the vault, these vaultsbeing usually provided with side bars 34 anchored or secured thereto inany approved manner, and it will be obvious that when the apparatus isset up and the cables attached to the vault, that operation of the crank28 will serve to lower or raise the vault, depending on the direction ofrotation. There can be no fouling or overriding of the cable as the sidebars I8 force the cables into the threaded grooves which are slightlytapered as previously pointed out.

I am, of course, aware that other vault handling apparatus is now incommercial use, but these have inherent disadvantages in that none ofthem are designed or capable of wheeling the apparatus, together withthe cover over the casket; therefore, more time and labor is required,they are not sectional for easy transportation, the grave opening isexposed to view,

and the entire operation cannot be performed in the smooth, easy mannersuch as is possible with the present device, nor do they have theflexibility of drive present in this design.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that I have perfecteda very simple, practical, and efficient apparatus for handling andlowering burial vaults.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described and comprising a wheeledsectional frame, including end and side bars, gear housings connectingsaid end and side bars, a shaft in each side bar and threaded to form awinding drum, a worm wheel on the end of each shaft, a worm shaftjournaled in the housing, a Worm mounted thereon and meshing with theworm wheel, a transversely disposed pin mounted in the worm shaftadjacent the end thereof, a hollow shaft connecting the worm shafts andprovided with slotted end sections adapted to accommodate thetransversely disposed pins, springs in said hollow shaft and bearingagainst said pins, slots in the side bars, and cables anchored to andwound on the threaded shafts and leading through said slots.

2. In an apparatus of the class described and comprising a mobile frameincluding spaced apart end and side bars, gear housings connecting saidend and side bars, a threaded shaft journaled in each side bar andprojecting into the gear housings, a gear assembly mounted in certain ofsaid gear housings for driving said shafts, quickly detachable means foroperatively connecting said gear assemblies, and comprising worm shafts,a transversely disposed pin mounted in each shaft adjacent the endthereof, a hollow shaft, a slot in each end of the hollow shaft andadapted to accommodate said transverse pins, springs in the hollow shaftand bearing against said pins, slots in the side bars, and cablesanchored to and wound on said shafts with the free ends leading throughthe said slots in the side bars.

LLOYD V. TROUP.

